Tuesday 27 April 2010

Front Vs Rear Wheel Drive

Front Vs Rear Wheel DriveBy Bond Mejeh

One decision that is always faced when buying a new car is, "Should I get rear wheel or front wheel drive?" Well, here are some things to consider when answering that question. Most cars today are designed with front wheel drive as they're typically safer, where you'll find that commonly sports & race cars are packing rear wheel drive.

First things first, if your car is front wheel drive, this means the engine powers the front wheels, so the front wheels is what powers the vehicle along. Rear wheel drive is when the engine powers only the rear wheels causing them to push the vehicle along. The main difference is the fact that front wheel types are easier to handle, especially for beginner drivers.

Rear wheel types can be a bit more difficult as the car tends to over turn when cutting sharp corners, that is, unless you specifically know how to handle these vehicles. However, with front wheel drive, the car can do the opposite and under turn if taking a corner too sharp. In the end, they are easier to control than the over turning of rear wheel drive.

Another good thing about the front wheel type is that the engines tend to be smaller, giving more room for the inside of the car and giving the car less weight to pull, thus giving you better gas mileage. This is due to the fact that in a rear wheel drive car, an extra engine compartment is usually installed in the back of the car where, of course, it is used to power and push the back wheels along. The placement of the engine in the front of the car also helps with traction especially in rainy or snowy conditions, as the increased front weight helps give the tires traction on the road. However, if trying to go up a hill, it doesn't provide as much traction, as there is nothing pushing the car from the back. This is where a rear wheel types can become more helpful. Another bad thing is that the CV joints in front wheels tend to wear out quicker because there is more weight consistently being applied to the front of the car and those two front tires. The universal joints used in rear wheels do last longer as the entire weight of the car isn't always bearing down on them while driving.

As you can see, both front and rear wheel drive have their pros and cons, but over all front wheel drive is the safest way to go; especially for those less experienced drivers.

Bond Mejeh produces automotive related articles for Quick Cash Auto, a cash for cars service. Quick Cash Auto not only buys pre-owned vehicles of any year, make or model, but they also provide numerous articles about vehicle repair and automotive news.

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Enzo Ferrari - Owner of Ferrari Motors

Enzo Ferrari - Owner of Ferrari MotorsBy Wilbert F Jimenez

Born in Emilia-Romagna, and raised in Modena, Italy, Enzo Ferrari grew up with tiny formal education but an intense desire to race vehicles. During World War I he used to be a mule-skinner in the Italian military. His grandfather, Alfredo, died in 1916 as a result of a widespread Italian flu outbreak. Enzo became sick himself and was therefore discharged from Italian service. On coming back home he discovered that the family firm had collapsed. Having no other job prospects he sought unsuccessfully to find work at Fiat and at last settled for a smaller automobile company called CMN redesigning used van bodies into small, passenger automobiles. He took up racing in 1919 on the CMN team, but had tiny 1st success.

He left CMN in 1920 to work at Alfa Romeo and racing their autos in local races he had more success. In 1923, racing in Ravenna, he bought the Prancing Horse badge which decorated the fuselage of Francesco Baracca's (Italy's leading ace of WWI) SPAD fighter, given from his ma, taken from the wreckage of the airplane after his confusing death. This icon would need to wait till plastered on a racing vehicle. In 1924 he won the Coppa Acerbo at Pescara. His successes in local races inspired Alfa to offer him an opportunity of much more celebrated competition and he was lauded by Mussolini. Ferrari turned this opportunity down and in a funk he did not race again until 1927 and even then his racing career was often over. He continued to work without delay for Alfa Romeo until 1929 before beginning Scuderia Ferrari as the racing team for Alfa.

Ferrari managed the development of the factory Alfa cars, and built up a gang of over forty drivers, including Giuseppe Campari and Tazio Nuvolari. Ferrari himself continued racing until the birth of his first child in 1932 (Alfredo Ferrari, known as Dino, who died in 1956).

The support of Alfa Romeo lasted until 1933 when finance restrictions made Alfa withdraw. Only at the intervention of Pirelli did Ferrari receive any automobiles at all. Despite the standard of the Scuderia drivers the company won few victories ( 1935 in Germany by Nuvolari was a notable exception). Auto Union and Mercedes controlled the era.

In 1937 Alfa took control of its racing efforts again, reducing Ferrari to Director of Sports under Alfa's engineering director. Ferrari shortly left, but a contract clause prohibited him from racing or planning for 4 years.

He set up Auto-Avio Costruzioni, a company supplying parts to other racing teams. But in the Mille Miglia of 1940 the company manufactured 2 automobiles cars to compete, driven by Alberto Ascari and Lotario Rangoni. During WW2 his firm was involved in war production and following bombing moved from Modena to Maranello. It wasn't until after World War II that Ferrari tried to shed his nazi reputation and make autos bearing his name, founding today's Ferrari S.p. A. In 1945.

The 1st open-wheeled race was in Turin in 1948 and the 1st victory came later in the year in Lago di Garda. Ferrari participated in the Formula 1 World Championship since its introduction in 1950 but the 1st victory was not until the UK Grand Prix of 1951. The first championship came in 1952-53, when the Formula One season was raced with Formula 2 autos. The company also sold production sports cars to to finance the racing endeavours not only in Grand Prix but also in events like the Mille Miglia and Le Mans. Indeed plenty of the firm's greatest victories came at Le Mans ( fourteen victories, including six in a row 1960-65 ) instead of in Grand Prix, actually the company was more concerned there than in Formula One during the 1950s and 1960s regardless of the successes of Juan-Manuel Fangio ( 1956 ), Mike Hawthorn ( 1958 ), Phil Hill (1961) and John Surtees ( 1964 ).

In the 1960s the issues of reduced demand and insufficient financing forced Ferrari to allow Fiat to take a position in the company. Ford had tried to buy the firm in 1963 for US$18 million but had been declined. The company became joint-stock and Fiat took a tiny share in 1965 and then in 1969 they increased their holding to 50% of the company. (In 1988 Fiat's holding was increased to 90%).

Ferrari remained managing director until 1971. Despite stepping down he remained an influence over the firm till his death. The input of Fiat took some time to have effect. It was not till 1975 with Niki Lauda the firm won any championships with Niki Lauda that the talent of the driver and the the ability of the engine conquering the inadequacies of the chassis and aerodynamics. But after those successes and the promise of Jody Scheckter title and the corporation's Formula One championship hopes dropped into the doldrums. 1982 opened with a strong fell into the 126C2, world-class drivers, and promising results robust vehicle, the early races.

However, Gilles Villeneuve was finished in the 126C2 in May, and teammate Didier Pironi had his career cut short in a violent end over end flip on the foggy backstraight at Hockenheim in August. Pironi was leading the driver's flip on the time; he would lose the lead as he sat out the leftover races. The team would not see championship glory again during Ferrari's lifetime.

Enzo Ferrari died in Modena in 1988 at the age of 90 at the beginning of the dominance of the McLaren Honda combination. The sole race which McLaren did the start of the Italian Grand Prix - this was held just weeks after Enzo's death, and, suitably, the result was a 1-2 finish for Ferrari, with Gerhard Berger leading home Michele Alboreto. After Enzo's death, thee Scuderia Ferrari team has had further success, notably with Michael Schumacher from 1996-2005.

Made a Cavaliere del Lavoro in 1952, to add to his honours of Cavaliere and Commendatore in the 1920s, Enzo also received a number of honorary degrees, the Hammarskjld Cavaliere del Lavoro in 1962, the Columbus Prize in 1965, and the De Gasperi Award in 1987. In 1994, he was posthumously inducted into the Global Motorsports Hall of Fame. Enzo famously used purple ink in his fountain pen, though the reason posthumously inducted into this remains unclear.

After the passing of his child, Alfredo "Dino" Ferrari, Enzo wore sunglasses just about every day to laud his son.

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Tuesday 20 April 2010

Honda's new CR-Z hybrid






How to Sell Your Used Car - Effective Car Sale Techniques

How to Sell Your Used Car - Effective Car Sale Techniques
By Larmour Tan

Is the depreciation and maintenance of your car too high? Or do you simply want to change your car? If you find yourself nodding your head to any of the questions, you probably need to sell off your car. The burning question is, how do you plan sell it?

Below are two of the conventional routine car sellers take.

1) Sell to used car dealers

2) Sell to direct end-consumers

1) Sell to used car dealers

This is the most common way to sell off a used vehicle - selling your car to a dealer. After all, a dealer will buy nearly any car you place in front of him. Even if your car is scratched, dented, or smashed, car dealers have their ways to recondition it and sell it off.

When selling to dealers, it is advisable to check with a few dealers on the selling price. There are many tactics that dealers use to lure their sellers. One common way is to quote a price way above the market price. After the seller has rejected all other reasonable offers from other dealers, the dealer reduces his original offer and the seller will be stuck with a lousy offer.

Pros

Selling to a dealer is absolutely hassle-free. (If your price is sufficiently low, they may provide door-step service and serve you as if you are some kind of royalty.) Dealers handle all the documentation of the sale and provide you with cash payment.

Selling to a dealer is safe and simple. With a few phone calls, your car is sold.

Cons

The single biggest disadvantage of selling to the dealer is the relatively low price offered. Dealers act like middlemen and are making a profit on your vehicle. Typically, each used car will have to generate at least $2,000 profit, else it would be uneconomical for the dealer to buy it from the seller. The profit will account for the dealers' overheads such as rental, salesman salary, and their other bills. In addition, they face the risk of uncertain market conditions which may translate into deficits if they are unable to sell the car off.

One must always be careful when signing any document with a used car dealer. They are very experienced in the complex field of motor trade, and you can easily be short-changed. You should always insist on all verbal agreements to be written down.

2) Sell to direct end-consumers

With more automated filing systems implemented by the government, owner-to-owner sale is a growing alternative for many owners to sell their vehicles nowadays. The legal documentation process has been streamlined, and the presence of many online platforms, connect buyers with sellers directly without the need for middlemen.

For such cases, the seller will need to advertise his car for sale, arrange for viewing and test-drives, then proceed with the documentation to transfer the vehicle ownership.

Pros

By eliminating the dealer, car owners can fetch a higher selling price as compared to if they sell it to a dealer. This is the sole advantage, but also a very significant one. After all, the aim of selling your car is to get the highest price possible.

Cons

When conducting a owner-to-owner sale, all the administrative work will have to be settled by the seller and buyer. The seller has to cancel his insurance and pay his loan in full. If the buyer requires a loan, the seller may also need to help him to secure a loan to seal the deal.

Time and money could be wasted if no one respond to your car ads. Several viewing and test-drives does not necessarily lead to a successful sale. Selling a car is not an easy feat.

Mishaps may take place during an owner-to-owner deal. There is a chance that the seller may not have the necessary documents for the transfer. Perhaps, he may not be well-versed with the exact procedure to make the transfer of ownership - making payment; transferring the ownership; collecting the car. It is crucial that the seller knows his stuff to ensure a smooth flow for the transfer of ownership. It is not uncommon for ill-informed sellers encounter difficulties during this process.

Author is a writer for http://www.sgCarMart.com, specialising in car articles concerning used car sales. He is also a regular car blog contributor.




BMW 1 Series is a Rear Wheel Drive?

BMW 1 Series is a Rear Wheel Drive?
By Larmour Tan

I am awfully sorry BMW, but all your efforts to try and convince yourselves that those who bought your 1-series are avid driving enthusiasts have failed. BMW had built the 1-series with the intention of spreading their gospel of the 'ultimate driving machine' and part of that picture they painted was the fact that rear wheel drive would be part of the recipe to build such a machine. However, it has now been revealed in a statement made by BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer during a telephone interview session with journalists that 80% of the people who bought the 1-series thought that it was a front wheel drive. For those of you reading this, if you are part of the 80% that have been mentioned above, I have the civic duty to inform you that the BMW 1-series is a Rear Wheel Drive.

I mean honestly, I would expect the people who are buying the 1-series to read the brochure that informs them of the specifications of the car. Or perhaps to make the effort to go through the owner's manual after they have purchased the car. I guess, in a way, this is an unfortunate news. I think this is the reason BMW do not go around with the 'ultimate driving machine' statement anymore. If you look at their website, it now states 'Sheer Driving Pleasure' or 'Joy is Driving'. Nowhere does it state that BMW makes the ultimate driving machines anymore. I suppose this is justly so as no one actually buys BMWs to drive anymore. These people actually don't even care about 'sheer driving pleasure' or 'joy is driving'. They buy BMWs for the badge and ironically, even BMW knows about this.

They know this as they're producing gargantuan SUV-coupes like the X6M or the X5M. These are two vehicles for people who just want the 'M' badge but don't actually like driving really fast. I say this because no matter how fast or powerful an SUV is, the car with the same engine and drive train, would be able to out handle any performance SUVs regardless of the situation. Then they sell the entry level 1-series to people who are just looking for a BMW and do not actually ask which wheels drive the car in the first place. Apparently, it looks like the actual fast driving enthusiasts aren't driving BMWs anymore.

And that folks is why BMW has recently announced during that same telephone interview that they intend to build front wheel drive BMWs by 2014. It is not that they have decided to join the front wheel drive bandwagon. It's just that to 1-series owners, or future BMW entry level owners, what wheels drive the car is immaterial. They just want in on the brand. Maybe BMW should change their taglines to 'FWD? RWD? AWD? Who cares? It's a BMW' or 'Joy of owning the Ultimate Badge'.


This is, beyond a doubt, another sad day for true blue driving enthusiasts.

The author visits car forum habitually and is a regular writer on a car blog.





Car Reliability Data

Running a car these days is expensive enough but might your choice of manufacturer have an effect on your year-on-year running costs also? Each year, Which? car produce realiability data for car manufacturers by surveying over 90'000 used car owners. You might expect to see the German manufacturers near the top but then again you might be surprised.


Brand Country Score (%)
Source: Which? Car
Honda Japan 85
Toyota Japan 84
Daihatsu Japan 83
Lexus Japan 83
Mazda Japan 83
Subaru Japan 83
Suzuki Japan 83
Hyundai Korea 80
Mitsubishi Japan 80
Porsche Germany 80
Mini UK 78
Nissan Japan 78
Ford USA 78
BMW Germany 78
Skoda Czech Republic 78
Kia Korea 78
Proton Malaysia 78
Mercedes Benz Germany 78
Audi Germany 78
Jaguar UK 78
Vauxhall UK 75
Citroen France 75
Volvo Sweden 75
Volkswagen Germany 75
Peugeot France 75
Smart Germany 75
Chevrolet USA 75
Daewoo Korea 75
Jeep USA 75
Saab Sweden 73
SEAT Spain 73
MG UK 73
Alfa Romeo Italy 73
Rover UK 70
Fiat Italy 69
Renault France 68
Land Rover UK 67
Chrysler/Dodge USA 67



Tuesday 6 April 2010

Great Deals on Driving Days Out

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Range of Aston Martins Luxury Sports Cars

Range of Aston Martins Luxury Sports CarsBy David Finlay

Despite this legacy, each sports car is a product of the latest technology. The latest designs aided by computers and engineering facilities create new cars that can be the pride of generations. If you want to own an Aston Martin, you can be assured that you are not just getting the illustrious name but also the kind of technology that rules the road. Here are some of the cars on the Aston Martin range worth knowing about...

The Aston DBS is a luxury sports car that brings the road and the track closer together. It is versatile enough to be used in winding mountain roads or on flat and open city roads. The DBS is powered by a 6 liter V12 engine and its aerodynamic design leaves no room for compromise for on-road performance. It is a two-seater car that boasts of elegant interiors in hand-finished materials. It can easily be said to be Aston Martin's sports car or luxury that uses elegant design, race-derived and inspired materials and components and also an innovative manufacturing process.

The DB9 is considered to be the grand tourer. It can be great as a DB9 Coupe or a DB9 Volante. All three offer top character, luxury, driver involvement and refinement. The DBS Volante completes the DBS lineup. It features a motorized fabric roof that easily retracts upon command. You can feel exhilarated or in a safe ambiance depending on when you want your roof up or down. Of course, as an Aston Martin DBS, its sports features are top rate.

The Rapide is a four-seater sports car that can only be described as luxuriously sporty. As a hand-crafted sorts car, it is elegant in looks and outstanding in performance. Despite its being a high-end sports car, it is agile and versatile enough for everyday use.

The V12 vantage uses a 6 liter V12 engine. It has top speed of 190 mph. This latest Vantage exudes unique character and is developed for pure driving enjoyment. As an Aston, it uses materials and components that are race developed and inspired.

David Finlay writing about new range of Aston Martin cars. Buy Aston Martin and consider the Aston Martin DB9 car.

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